USC WRs Makai Lemon, Ja’Kobi Lane leading by example
LOS ANGELES — Heading into the final week of spring practice, the USC football team continues to progress as a whole, getting a better feel for one another while integrating new players and coaches into the program.
One group in particular that has been making significant headway are the wide receivers.
Standout receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane return after leading the Trojans in receiving yards last season with 764 and 525 yards, respectively.
Lane also scored 12 touchdowns, tied for the fifth-best in the nation.
But the two junior wideouts are not satisfied with last year’s results.
“It doesn’t really mean much to me. It’s nice to get into the end zone but at the end of the day you always want to win for your team and it’s not like every single one of those games that I scored we won,” Lane said after Tuesday’s practice. “So I just think learning to be better for my teammates and be somebody that they can depend on is always a goal of mine and if I can do that then I’m happy.”
It’s been a common theme among the veterans in all the position groups to take on more of a leadership role, helping the younger players get acclimated this spring.
It’s no different for the wideouts, with Lemon and Lane taking the reins and demonstrating the right way to practice, watch film and put in the work to be successful.
“Being an older guy, a junior, them young guys are going to automatically look to the older guys to have a set of examples. So, you know, just trying my best each day,” Lemon said.
Lane has also been consistently vocal during the media viewing portions of practice this spring, but he said it’s “not a new thing, it’s just a matter of people noticing it.”
Rounding out the juniors in the wide receiver room is Prince Strachan, a transfer from Boise State, who is already making an impact with his new team.
At 6-foot-5, Strachan stands out as the tallest wideout in the group. He’s also been seen taking a lot of the first-team reps alongside Lemon and Lane.
“He’s a great player. Every time he steps on the field, it’s an explosive play,” Lemon said of Strachan. “You can throw it up to him. He can run any route. Excited to see him this year.”
While Strachan is new to USC, he has two seasons of college football under his belt from his time at Boise State.
That experience has been a favorable addition to the wideout group. He has a lot of information to glean from Lemon and Lane, but he’s also been able to provide a veteran presence. It’s translated to a group that has made big strides in a very short period of time.
“As the practices go on, you can see us really getting closer as a group,” Strachan said. “I’m a new face and everything. So, we’re getting closer as a group. Everybody from Ja’Kobi on down, we’re all teaching each other different things. If they see something I could do better. If I see something they could do better, we all work off each other. So it’s been a good journey of growth.”